Welcome to the curated archive of all books mentioned by Chris and his guests.
These selections reflect the intellectual and philosophical depth that defines the Modern Wisdom podcast.
Most Mentioned Books








Welcome to the curated archive of all books mentioned by Chris and his guests.
These selections reflect the intellectual and philosophical depth that defines the Modern Wisdom podcast.








Richard Reeves is a writer, researcher and the Founder of the American Institute for Boys & Men. What is the current state of men and boys? As social movements have focused on supporting historically marginalised groups, Richard has led the march on whether men’s challenges have been overlooked. So what is the current state of men and boys, and are we finally moving toward meaningfully addressing their challenges? Timestamps: (0:00) What’s Changed in the Boys and Men Debate? (6:09) Do Men’s Rights Activists Actually Want to Win? (12:07) Why We Need Better Conversations About Boys and Men (28:31) Does Gender Politics Need a New Language? (29:46) Looksmaxxing: The Manosphere’s Next Obsession? (35:01) Are Men Being Written Out of Society? (47:37) Should Men Lead the Household? (49:28) Is Modern Society Becoming Feminised? (51:28) Why Feminists Need to Stop Demonising Men (55:57) How is Mate Value Changing Modern Dating? (01:05:45) Are Working Women Changing Fertility Rates? (01:20:21) Are We Waiting Too Long to Have Families? (01:27:15) Why Paternity is So Important (01:30:37) Should Fathers Be in the Delivery Room? (01:36:49) Why Fathers Need More Recognition (01:40:33) Are Modern Men Satisfied With Life? (01:42:46) Is Title IX Helping or Hurting Men? (01:47:18) What Does the Future Look Like For Men? (02:04:21) Where to Find Richard ...
Adam Aleksic is a linguist, content creator, and author, best known online as the Etymology Nerd. What’s happening to language right now? Words like “rizz” and “skibidi” can make it feel like you’re out of the loop, but are you actually getting older, or has the internet transformed language into something entirely new? What does the science of linguistics say about this shift? Expect to learn why 6-7 was voted word of the year for 2025, why TikTok is becoming the most powerful linguistic engine on Earth, if there is a science to meme language, why funny language spreads and what makes it stick, why we should care about linguistics, and much more… ...
Alex Petkas is a historian, writer, and podcaster. Your browser does not support the audio element. Mentioned Books Cyropaedia by Xenophon Amazon On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life by Nietzsche“by Nietzsche one of his early books that and I'd read some Nietzsche before It's called on the advantage and disadvantage of history for life and Nietzsche talks in there about” ▶ Play at 0:37 Amazon
David Friedberg is an entrepreneur, investor, and podcaster. What will the future actually look like? With AI dominating the conversation, cutting through the noise matters more than ever. So what’s really coming, and what will it cost us? Expect to learn why the future if going to be epic even if the cost is high, why the future of tech and AI might be overblown, why we should care about the moon, what AI will actually do to jobs despite Anthropic’s new report, what the future of longevity will look like, why California has turned into a failed state and if David is concerned about the rise of socialism, what David is most excited about right now and much more… ...
Michael Smoak is a mindset coach, entrepreneur, and podcaster. What does it actually cost to live a great life? From the outside, top performers seem to have everything we want, but the story isn’t that simple. Behind every extraordinary life is a series of trade-offs, sacrifices, and unseen costs. So what is the true price of ambition, and are you willing to pay it? Expect to learn what high-performance actually looks like, what the number one fear that holds people back is and how to get over it, how to face and overcome your fears, why the path to being the best version of yourself should feel somewhat lonely, why most of the things you want in life has an opportunity cost attached to it, why you should always prioritise physical health and much more.. ...
Eric Jorgenson is an investor, entrepreneur, and author. How does Elon Musk actually think? You can analyze him from first principles, but the closest thing to a blueprint is Eric Jorgenson’s The Book of Elon. So what’s really going on in his mind, and what makes him so extraordinary? Expect to learn what the most misleading narrative about Elon’s success is, why Elon decides to move so fast and his obsession with speed, why Eric decided to document the mind behind Elon Musk, what he decided to leave out of the book, What Eric learned about Elon that other biographies missed, what the 69 core Musk methods are, if Elon’s worldview is closer to philosophy than business and much more… ...
Robert Pantano is a writer, creator, and the founder of the Pursuit of Wonder YouTube channel. At what point does self-awareness become self-sabotage? The more you analyze yourself, the easier it is to get stuck overthinking. So how do you improve your life without ruining it? Expect to learn why self-awareness is a problem and the paradox of being too self-aware, if there is a way to be self-aware without becoming self-destructive, why aging is like a road trip, why regret is framed as a prison in which the prisoners are also the guards, if anxiety is just the natural consequence of seeing reality clearly, what makes life worth the trouble and much more… ...
Tristan Harris is a tech ethicist, entrepreneur, and a speaker. Are we sleepwalking into disaster? AI is unlocking massive progress, but the dangers hiding beneath the surface are exactly what experts fear most. So what’s coming… and could it spiral beyond our control? Expect to learn why AI is distinct from other kind of technologies, what the Ali Baba rogue AI catastrophe that should scare everyone is, how worried Tristan is about the impact of AI deepfakes and misinformation campaigns, what’s happening with the AI safety discussion, if we should be skeptical of AI companies pushing just as hard but pretending that they’re not, the end result that AI companies are looking for and much more… ...
Will Guidara is a restaurateur, hospitality expert, and author. What does it take to become the world’s best restaurant? In an era of extravagant dining and over-the-top experiences, the answer might be simpler than you think. So what actually separates the best from the rest? Expect to learn the biggest differences between service and hospitality, how Will went from #50 in the world to #1, how to operationalise magic and why most companies forget the human they are supposed to serve, which tricks of hospitality from well known restaurants most people probably overlook or don’t notice, what the one thing I should get right if you want to run a successful restaurant is and much more… ...
Roy Baumeister is a psychologist, professor, and researcher. Are men inherently more expendable from an evolutionary standpoint—and if so, has that dynamic helped drive innovation? If risk-taking outliers are often responsible for progress, what does that say about the role men play in shaping civilization? And does this tradeoff come at the cost of higher failure, instability, and sacrifice along the way? Expect to learn why cultures flourish when they exploit men and what that actually means, why men have ended up in higher positions in society and if civilisation runs on male competition, why men are so much more likely to take physical, financial, and social risks, if risk-taking men are necessary for progress, what people do not understand about self-destructive male behaviours and much more… ...